Ford City Mall. (William DeShazer/Chicago Tribune)
By Sandra M. Jones | Sears Holdings Corp. plans to close its Sears store at Ford City Mall in
July, the latest in a string of store closures.
The Sears store was underperforming other stores in the mall, according
to a representative of the Chicago shopping center.
“The large format retailers at Ford City Mall’s north wing, adjacent to Sears, have outperformed national averages, achieving a 3 percent increase in sales in 2009,” said David Contis, a representative of Ford City Mall. “Unfortunately, Sears has not performed well.”
Jones Lang LaSalle, the leasing and management agent for the mall, said it will look for more productive uses for the space, most likely smaller, entrepreneurial retailers.
The 1.3 million square-foot mall’s other stores include J.C. Penney, Carson Pirie Scott and Old Navy. Sears’ lease expired Aug. 31.
Sears also plans to close a store in St. Ann, Mo., outside of St. Louis. Both stores will start liquidation sales on Friday, and close to the public on July 14, according to Sears spokesman Kimberly Freely.
“As a normal course of business we continually evaluate our store portfolio, and for business reasons did not renew the lease at Ford City Mall,” Freely said.
Perfect location for Lord and Taylor.
who shops at over-priced Sears anymore?
When Sears at Ford City charges $149.95 for a Hamilton Beach blender that I bought at Lowe’s for $99, they deserve to close. Survival of the fittest, and Sear’s management simply is out of touch. If you want to compete in the retail market, you hire people with retail experience. Sorry, but Sears has become an exercise in stupidity and monstrous ego.
Maybe if Sears relocated to where Montgomery Ward was, they would have more business. That space has remained empty for years. Ford City used to be a nice mall….many years ago. The only stores there worth shopping at now, in the mall proper, are Penney’s and Carson’s, and not much else in between them. Even those two stores leave a lot to be desired, compared to the same stores located in other malls.
Overall Garbage Mall, Garbage Location!!! Neighborhood not to eye appealing!!!! Low end of the totem pole.
Hey they are scared of the kind of people that now shops at Ford City Mall. Look at the movie theatre not too far off? There are constant fights between teenagers there.
Unfortunately the mall is on a downhill slide. Won’t be surprised if J.C. Penny and Carson follow suit within 4 years or less.
How sad?
What a slum down there now the gang banger are going to have to go farther nort to hang out
Ford City use to be a great mall years ago.
Ford City is a piece of garbage right now. Wherever the ghetto goes to it destroys whatever is around it. All the public schools use to be solid safe neighborhood schools but the ghetto people have destroyed that also. Gage Park, Bogan, etc.
I’z be black the government going to take care of me.
Do they still have a Wieboldt’s?
When Ford City opened, it was a marvel for its time. It gave city and-nearby suburban residents a wide variety new shopping and entertainment choices. As times have changed and “white flight” has occured, this mall location has not been able to keep up. Former residents moved deeper into the suburbs — where other malls sprung up. Now that malls are a “way of life,” Ford City has lost its appeal and consumer base. Sad to see it go. And to Muntz — Wieboldt’s went out of business back in the early 1980s.
Until the 1970s, Sears hired intelligent retail clerks, trained them thoroughly about their products, and compensated them well. Then along came K-Mart, the store which said “screw customer service, we’ve got cheaper prices”, and the American consumer went for it. Since then it’s all been about price, and for the sake of a bargain those well-paying retail jobs, along with U.S. manufacturing, have taken a hike.